Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

My girlfriend and I like to broaden our horizon by visiting a different city every year. After Paris, Barcelona and Dublin, we锟斤拷锟絩e ready to take on New York City. I锟斤拷锟絭e been there once before, accompanying my husband on a business trip, and I had no problems in convincing my friend that we should really go to New York for our next trip! Just 9 weeks till we leave and we锟斤拷锟絩e already having a great time, thanks to this forum! Being Dutch, we锟斤拷锟絩e real cheapskates, of course. On the other hand, we锟斤拷锟絩e (just a little) past the age for hostels and fast food chains. Basically, we锟斤拷锟絩e trying to get the most out of our trip best-value-for-money-style, without counting every dollarcent we spend.

For a start, we锟斤拷锟絭e booked the much recommended Belvedere hotel. Arriving at JFK, we锟斤拷锟絣l take the Airtrain and subway into Manhattan. We锟斤拷锟絩e thinking of buying a 7-day Fun Pass for unlimited use of subways and buses rightaway. Normally we walk a lot during our trips, but we don锟斤拷锟絫 want to waste time trekking through uninteresting neighbourhoods (are there any in NYC??) to get to where we want to be....

A starting tip for fellow cheapskates: you can get a nice guide for FREE from www.nycvisit.com. Mine was mailed to me here in the Netherlands, I got it within a week! The guide contains subway and bus maps, lists of hotels, restaurants, museums and sights, and even a couple of coupons ; ).

I also like www.cheaponewyork.com, a site recommended on this forum. I think getting something to eat from a street cart is as much a New York experience as having dinner in a nice restaurant, and cheapo锟斤拷锟絪 pages on street eats are great!

I锟斤拷锟絣l be back with the rest of our plans, which will of course include the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge. Other cheapskate tips are very welcome!

Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

I just browsed through a terrific paperback in Barnes %26amp; Noble, called ';The Cheap B*stard%26#39;s Guide to NYC'; (naturally, I was too cheap to actually buy the thing). You can probably order it online through B%26amp;N or Amazon.

Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

nymetro.com/urban/鈥ndex.htm

If you like to walk maybe hold of on the city pass for the subway until you actually get into Manhattan and realise that everything is an awful lot closer than it sounds. You will have a fantastic trip and enjoy it.

A friend of mine gave me ';The Cheap B*astard%26#39;s Guide to NYC';. It does have some great suggestions. Maybe you can find it discounted on half.com.

NYC is entertainment in itself. I could sit in a coffee shop or at sidewalk table for hours and be amused. People watching is at it%26#39;s best in NYC. A day spent in Central Park or just browsing shops in one my favorite neighborhoods is a day well-spent in my opinion. You don%26#39;t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time there!

Great site, nywhiz! That%26#39;ll keep me busy for a few days.

Bettina NYC, I%26#39;ll buy the Cheap B*stard%26#39;s Guide and then sell it to you at half price at the end of my stay! (Just kidding..)

blemishes

Vice Versa?

Looking for Vice Versa on menupages.com. Is it called by another name? Where is it located?

Vice Versa?

menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp鈥?/a>

It%26#39;s one word.

Trip report - We loved it!

Just returned from a wonderful trip to NY for my daughter%26#39;s 16th birthday. My best friend came along too, as she had never been. We all had a great time, loved everything about it. Stayed at the Grand Hyatt, great location, and nice, big room on the corner, huge complementary breakfast (a deal with the room). We took the subway everywhere, day and night and never had a problem (until I got a summons (ticket) our last night for letting my daughter through with me when we realized she lost her 7-day ticket as we hurried to the theater).

We saw The Producers, Phantom and Mamma Mia. Loved them all, my friend and I especially loved Mamma Mia. We bought all our tickets on broadwaybox.com beforehand and were really glad since someone told us the TKTS line was 3 hours one day! Our seats for Phantom were quite a ways back on the floor, just had to duck our heads a little to see some of the off-stage action. Not a problem.

We ate at wonderful restaurants, thanks to all the advice here. Had a pre-theater cheese plate and wine at Cafe Une Deux Trois; fabulous dinners and wine at Balthazar and Vice Versa (daughter loved that best!) and Joe Allen. Had a nice brunch at LeMadeleine, though didn%26#39;t get the garden room because of a bridal shower. Still, was very good. Had pizza at John%26#39;s and lunch at Carnegie Deli. We wouldn%26#39;t have changed any of them. Have to mention that all the servers and staff were fantastic. Many made special efforts to recognize my daughter%26#39;s birthday. Tried to go to Serendipity one afternoon but were told the wait was 3 hours there too, so skipped that and got some candy at Dylan%26#39;s Candy Bar on the corner.

Spent lots of time shopping, Century 21 - daughter got some Versace pants, $250 for $19.99! Macy%26#39;s, Bloomingdales, Loehmann%26#39;s, Canal street, Sephora, H%26amp;M, Tiffany%26#39;s etc. Walked all over Times Square and checked out NYU for my daughter who is an actor, and took her picture with Eloise at The Plaza!

Went to WTC site and St. Paul%26#39;s. Very glad we saw the tributes in there. Walked to Battery Park to see the SOL, didn%26#39;t do the tour. Had a problem with the Empire State Building. We bought tickets on line and had planned to go after the theater. We got down there a little after 11 (all the info we saw said it closed at 12) but were not allowed to go in. They had a small crowd in the lobby and said they weren%26#39;t letting any more people in as the last elevator went up at 11:15. We showed them our tickets and since we three, and only two others were outside, asked to be let in. They wouldn%26#39;t budge. Disappointed, we planned to go back during our last day, however, found out the observation deck was closed that day because of limited visibility. So we missed it all together. Oh well, our tickets don%26#39;t expire, so it just gives us a reason to go back!

We walked from the West side of Central Park, through The Gates, to the Metropolitan Museum on Sunday, which must have been the most crowded it%26#39;s ever been! But, had a nice time and I did get to the roof garden to see the park view from there. Not a great view, I think the castle in the park was better.

We took cabs to and from the airport, noon time coming into town, 5 pm leaving. Both were just about $25. plus the $4 toll. A great deal!

Thanks to all of you for your great suggestions, recommendations, etc. My daughter said, ';I was meant to live here!'; So, I assume we will be back many times!

Trip report - We loved it!

What a great report. Hope the subway incident turned out all right. Gotta hold tight to those MetroCards!

You hit all my favorites, so I%26#39;m assuming you%26#39;ll be eating nothing but salads for a while to lose some of the weight you must%26#39;ve gained from all the good food here.

Tell your daughter to try for July on her next trip... so many free concerts and events, and free Shakespeare in the Park.

Trip report - We loved it!

The ';money shot'; from the Cantor Rooftop Garden is at dusk--and it%26#39;s not really of the park but of the lights of the skyline.

Times square brewery for new year ????

What do you think.....

Does it have a view of the ball drop?

Help please

Times square brewery for new year ????

You%26#39;re referring to the one by the 42nd St. subway stop?

If so, then no. If it had a view of the ball, it would be booked for the next decade. You can see the crowds and tomfoolery from upstairs, though, which may be more fun.

Most folks who%26#39;ve ';been there/done that';, even in Pre-9/1/2001 days, would tell you that it takes a certain amount of willpower and stamina to physically be in Times Square on New Year%26#39;s Eve.

Welcome, and let me be among the first to wish you a Happy New Year!

clay aiken

Anybody like him? I am hoping to see a sighting in new york, as he is working on his next cd.

clay aiken

who

shared bathroom?

I found a really cool hotel that%26#39;s really cheap. It seems clean and it%26#39;s in a good part of town, but it%26#39;s got a shared bathroom. Is this a bad idea? We%26#39;re not going to be spending a whole lot of time in there, I know, but I keep imagining my freshmen year at college in the dorms.

What do y%26#39;all think? The difference in price between this and the other hotel with a private bath I was going to book is about $45 a night, so I think it might be worth it. (My trip isn%26#39;t far away so I%26#39;m running out of options too.)

shared bathroom?

Which hotel is it? Have you read the reviews posted on this page? I suppose it depends on how the bathroom is set up. If it were me, my main concern would be security in that situation.

shared bathroom?

It%26#39;s the Carlton Arms. It seems that two or three rooms share a shower and toilet. It looks clean in the pictures, and there are locks on the doors, and it seems like only one person is in there at a time (so I wouldn%26#39;t be showering next to a strange man or anything). Plus I%26#39;m traveling with my boyfriend, so I%26#39;m not worried about being alone. This makes my main concern time management, because I don%26#39;t want to be waiting around for a shower in the morning. There%26#39;s a sink in the room so we%26#39;ll be able to brush our teeth, etc., no problem.

It%26#39;s gotten mixed reviews on this site. (I can%26#39;t believe one of the reviewers opted to stay in a shared bathroom room on her honeymoon!!!)

What about the Seton Hotel, anyone know anything about that?

How amny rooms are sharing the one bathroom. Just remember you may never be able to get the bathroom when you want it. Also is it an option to take the room without the bathroom with the option to upgrade on the 2nd night if it doesnt work out for you.

just the thought of sharing a bathroom freaks me out :)

The rooms with a private bath are all taken. They give the option of looking at all the available shared bathroom rooms and choosing which you want. I think two or three rooms share a bathroom, so that%26#39;d be anywhere from two to six other people besides me and my boyfriend.

Have you thought of bidding for a room on one of the discount webpages? You may be able to get a room with a private bathroom in your price range. Personally, I can%26#39;t imagine sharing a bathroom with total strangers. Yes, I lived in a dorm in college and shared a bathroom with 39 other people but if I%26#39;d had my way, I would have had my own private one. That said, I would think in the hotel situation, you need to look at the set up--is it an individual bathroom where you can lock the door to keep others out while you%26#39;re in there---or is it a big communal one like in a dorm? If so, security would be a big issue, in my opinion.

Keep imgaining those freshman years in the dorms. How long are you planning to stay? That might make a difference in your tolerance level of a shared bath and toilet.

Share bathroom? Not for me. Never, ever. IF you have no other option, I would investigate other hotels before booking. I dont know this hotel and have never heard of it.

There is Habitat on 57th and Lex and I think single rooms with a shared bath start at 75 dollars, but there is a $2 charge plus an additional 13-14 % on top. A $45 rate may seem good, but dont forget all the taxes.

Have you tried PRICELINE or similar sites.

Do i need to dress up for Norma's ?

Hi it%26#39;s me from the breakfast question, Norma%26#39;s sounds great but i just wondered if we needed to dress up for it as i am a bit of a jeans and sneakers kinda gal and we%26#39;re travelling light.

Do i need to dress up for Norma's ?

Casual is fine.

blemishes